Some of our everyday moments - featuring construction, sleep, bugs, + whales.

We've been here 7 weeks now and still feel like we are settling in in some ways.  Days have rhythm, mostly dictated by the rising and setting sun, but when your house has no fixtures, activity ebbs and flows according to any natural sources of light including full moon or clear starshine, too. We've had excitement in different forms lately, but also enjoyed a string of days that were rather more quiet, mellow, + slow.  

Max and I decided to practice different cement finishes in preparation for completing the shower upstairs in the house.  We're still not committed to one particular path forward for the house/land/Baja, but I mean we have youtube and our Mexican Home Depot bucket encouraging us to *¡HAZ MÁS!* so why not?

We practiced on the wall of the old semi-outdoor shower and had some fun playing with color.

The dates we carved into different phases of construction - above being for the outdoor shower and below being under the stairs to the 2nd story we added to our original palapa plans.

We are so lucky to have neighbors with the sweetest dogs who take us for regular walks + hang with us at their cool + inviting pool.

Back at home I put Max to work hanging my sweet new hammock. (I let him be the first to nap in it, so I am not all mean.)

Speaking of naps, this is what can happen in the quiet time after the evening fire has been lit but before the sun has finally dropped into the ocean.

And then this is what happens when the teen comes along and notices.

The same teen who radiates the sun right out of his heart.

The final, relaxing, sleepy sunset pic before I raise your heart rate with photos of the creepiest of the crawlies we've seen.  

Ok, ok, bees are not particularly creepy.  But they are incredibly invested in water sources + swarm me in clouds whenever I try to wash dishes or do laundry. And ever since I had a scare involving bees, the ER, anaphylaxis, and epinephrine a few years ago I find them landing on me quite intimidating and sorta creepy.

I am not sure if that is a fly or a bee, but whatever it was, it was still bzzzing its wings in a very alive fashion as the decidedly creepy spider did its thing.  (I begrudgingly give huge props to our spider 'friend' though.  I mean she is no lazy wait-for-food-to-land-in-the-web kind of arachnid, she has ambition!  She is going places!  Hopefully, far, far away from me.)

Okay, I am not even going to make the above image as big as the other photos because I feel that is cruel to all y'all.  I'm guessing I have already reduced my likelihood of getting visitors by a solid two thirds with this one image alone. Since I've already tortured you with the picture, here's the heartbreaking tale of what happened: I went to Cabo when we first got down here.  I was so overwhelmed by how different it is (not to mention how very WRONG my stupid Maps directions were, how ferociously thick and unkind the traffic was, nor the fact that after finally finding Costco they wouldn't let LZ in because they weren't letting children in, despite the fact that he A.) is a teen and B.) was wearing his mask better than the lady barring our access.)  I digress.   Anyway I returned to Cabo by myself last week + had spectacular success and came home full of treats and joy... until I began unloading groceries.  That's when I noticed this dude run into this spot between the doors.  Of course I blared for Max and Luca to come running, but only Luca did.  Max was in a meeting, of course.  So LZ and I took turns watching this thing for 30 solid minutes.  In the hot sun, without aforementioned treats, and terrified to look away and lose sight of it.  Yes, you guessed it.  As Max was coming around the corner to come remove it, LZ + I reflexively looked up at him, and the split millisecond was all it took for the spider to put all 8 legs into gear and disappear without a trace.  I almost cannot even breathe as I recount it, that is how upset I was.  Apoplectic might be more accurate.  Ugh.  I won't take up any more of your preciously non-spidery time with this, but let me end by saying two things.  One, this is NOT the first time Max and I have almost come to blows over hideously large spiders not getting removed from the car.  And two, we are now the very proud owners of the very same toxic bug sprays that a month ago I would have classified as disgusting, unnecessary, and vile.

I think the situation clearly calls for a calming photo of the meditative and reassuring Toby cat.  In through the nose, out through the mouth, everybody. 

Another relaxing one - this time of my sweet loves leading a walk toward the caves to the south.  Which I will save for another post.  In the meantime here are two videos of whales I hope will not only actually work, but bring you heaps of wonder + oodles of joy. Thanks!